Ball State University Athletics
Men?s Hoops Adds Top A-Sun Freshman Tayler Persons
May 22, 2015 | Men's Basketball
MUNCIE, Ind. – The Ball State men's basketball program has signed Northern Kentucky transfer and Atlantic Sun Freshman of the Year Tayler Persons to scholarship papers. He will sit out the upcoming 2015-16 season and then have three years of eligibility.
A 6-foot-3, 230-pound point guard, Persons led Northern Kentucky in points (13.1) and assists (3.7) per game in his rookie season. The Kokomo, Ind., product and former Indiana All-Star was named to the All-Atlantic Sun Second Team. He was also his team's leader in steals (1.1) and minutes (28.7) per game while averaging 4.6 rebounds.
“We are thrilled to add Tayler to the program,” Ball State head coach James Whitford said. “He is a great competitor and an outstanding basketball player, both in terms of his skill level and the intangibles he brings. Tayler has already proven through a phenomenal freshman year at Northern Kentucky that he can be very successful. He was heavily recruited when he decided to transfer, and he will have a chance to make a big impact on our program.”
Persons scored in double figures 22 times in his one season at Northern Kentucky, including a 30-point effort at Chattanooga and a 31-point performance at Jacksonville. He had two double-doubles of points and rebounds.
“As good a freshman year as Tayler had at NKU, part of what he was looking for was a place that could help him get better in his year off,” Whitford said. “It was that type of passion and commitment that really attracted us to him.”
Persons, who rounds out a group of five newcomers for next season, averaged 18.2 points per game as a high school senior at Kokomo. He was a three-time All-North Central Conference selection and twice the league's MVP. He played on the 2014 Indiana All-Star Team with current Ball State players Sean Sellers and Jeremie Tyler.
The Cardinals are also set to welcome a 2015 Indiana All-Star in Pike's Tahjai Teague. It will mark the first time Ball State has had four Indiana All-Stars on its roster since the 2001-02 season.
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Newcomers for 2015-16
Trey Moses, 6-9, 240, F/C, Louisville, Ky. (Eastern)
Tayler Persons, 6-3, 230, G, Kokomo, Ind. (Northern Kentucky)*
Naiel Smith, 6-4, 210, G, Brooklyn, N.Y. (San Jacinto College)
Tahjai Teague, 6-8, 190, F, Indianapolis, Ind. (Pike)
Nate Wells, 7-1, 260, C, Davenport, Iowa (Bradley)^
*will sit out 2015-16 season as a transfer
^ graduate transfer who can play immediately
